Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

bungle

/ˈbʌŋɡ(ə)l/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.41 in modern English

Syllables
bung-le
IPA
/ˈbʌŋɡ(ə)l/
9
Scrabble Score
6
Letters
2
Syllables
6
Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To incompetently perform (a task); to ruin (something) through incompetent action; to botch up, to bumble.

Transitive verb

verb

To act or work incompetently; to fumble.

Intransitive verb

Example Sentences

Etymology

The origin of the verb is uncertain; it is either: * onomatopoeic in origin (compare bumble (“to act in an inept, clumsy or inexpert manner; to make mistakes”), fumble (“to grope awkwardly in trying to find something; to blunder uncertainly”)); or * from Old Norse; compare Old Swedish bunga (“to strike”), and dialectal Swedish bangla (“to work ineffectually”). The noun is derived from the verb. Cognates * German Bengel (“cudgel; rude fellow”) * Middle High German bungen (“to hammer”)

Origin

Word Breakdown

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ˈbʌŋɡ(ə)l/
  • British English: /ˈbʌŋɡ(ə)l/

Usage

Inflected Forms

Derived Forms

Synonyms

Rhymes With

Questions

How do you pronounce bungle?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈbʌŋɡ(ə)l/.
What does bungle mean?
To incompetently perform (a task); to ruin (something) through incompetent action; to botch up, to bumble.
Where does bungle come from?
It is traced to Old Norse.

How to pronounce bungle

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “bungle”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈbʌŋɡ(ə)l/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “bungle”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “bungle” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.